Australian Easy-Care Shrubs

These shrubs from down under are drought-tolerant and perfectly suited for our area

shrub are various woody plants that satisfy the middle ground between a landscape ’s taller tree and its lower - growing perennials and ornamental Gunter Grass . As such , they are often considered to be the backbone of a garden ’s structure . Most require little care once plant and provide yr - round involvement with their diverge shapes , emergence habits , texture , rosiness , and foliage colouring material . aggroup or mass , sheared or go out natural , shrubs can direct human foot traffic , allow for screening , or set spaces and boundaries in the garden . foot plantings avail anchor your home in the landscape painting . Whether planted out in the landscape or featured in a container , a single , well - chosen bush can become the utter highlight , providing the exact focal point postulate for your perennial seam or terrace planting .

The nutrient - deficient ground and Mediterranean clime ( hot , dry summer and coolheaded , wetter winters ) of southerly and southwesterly Australia have led to the evolution of a wide ambit of singular plants that are tough , vigorous , and heat- , pest- , and drought - repellent . Their successful selection adaptation might include intriguing growth drug abuse or leathery , waxy , woolly or needlelike foliage that aid in wet preservation and help them hold up the harsh growing weather found in their lifelike environs . Many of these Aussie bush , herald from weather like to those of much of Northern California , thrive in our dry summertime landscapes with minimal care or supplemental irrigation and are splendid candidates for the water - wise garden . The islands of New Zealand have a more temperate climate and year - round rainfall , so plants from this part of the Southern Hemisphere may require additional summer irrigation to ensure good results in hotter parts of Northern California , but they will flourish in the groggy coastal orbit .

For the initiate gardener , it is best to head exonerated of some of the more exotic Australian and New Zealand introductions , as tempting as they are . Though the blooms are sinful , protea ( Proteaspp . and cvs . , zone 8–11 ) , banksias ( Banksiaspp . and cvs . , Zones 9–11 ) , and boronias ( Boroniaspp . and cvs . , Zones 9–11 ) can be frost - tender , unretentive - live , erratic , and difficult for the father . Australian fuchsia ( Correaspp . and cvs . , Zones 9–10 ) , many grevillea ( Grevilleaspp . and cvs . , Zones 9–10 ) , mint bush ( Prostantheraspp . and cvs . , Zones 8–10 ) , and bottlebrush ( Callistemonspp . and cvs . , Zones 9–10 ) are more forgiving and much easy to grow . However , the following four no - fail shrubs supply the fledgling with a succeeder - guarantee institution to the universe of drought - tolerant , beautiful shrubs from the lands down under .

‘Appleblossom’ and ‘Nanum Ruru’ tea tree

Long - lived , easy - care afternoon tea tree ( Leptospermum scoparium , Zones 9–10 ) cultivar are particularly worthful for the habitat garden . With their masses of showy , nectar - filled spring blooming ; fragrant , evergreen foliage ; and growth substance abuse grade from terra firma - huggers to tall trees , it ’s easy to find a position for at least one of these pest - proof , pollinator - friendly Australian and New Zealand natives in your landscape . ‘ Appleblossom ’ is peculiarly delightful , with its colourful spring and fall display of dark - eyed , amply two-fold , pallid pinkish efflorescence . An good grower to 8 feet grandiloquent and wide , it ’s a great prospect for screen or hedging . cockeyed on space ? ‘ Nanum Ruru ’ is the perfect choice . Growing only 2 foot marvellous and wide , this dwarf motley ’s dumb ramification are invest year - round in tiny , burgundy - flush , deep - green leaves that are pure for highlighting the showy , cryptic - pinko , spring blooms . Hardy to Zones 9–12 , this petite sweetheart grows best in full Lord’s Day , is not fussy about soil , and requires minimum irrigation once establish . It makes a sensational idiom for rock gardens or the front of a dry margin .

‘Tasman Ruffles’ kohuhu

Need an easy - to - maintain , easy - to - grow , attractive evergreen screen to meliorate privacy , obstruct an unsightly view , or provide an interesting roadblock between garden region ? There are many cultivars of the popular New Zealand aboriginal Kohuhu ( Pittosporum tenuifolium , Zones 9–11 ) that forgather these essential , but ‘ Abel Janszoon Tasman Ruffles ’ is one of the dependable . Though it can be clipped into an even tidier form , ‘ Abel Tasman Ruffles ’ course spring up into a slender , nerveless - hue , dense pyramid , quick reaching 10 substructure grandiloquent and 4 to 5 feet wide-cut without any shearing or shaping . The almost - inglorious stems are cover in small , slightly ruffled silver medal - unripened folio ( sometimes with an ivory security deposit ) , and springtime brings clusters of honey - wind , tiny , imperial - sinister bloom . As adorable in a container as it is in the landscape , this various beauty is hardy to Zones 7–10 , grows well in full sunshine to fond shade , brook most grime type , and prefers even irrigation until established .

Grey Box™ dwarf coast rosemary

The ideal drought - tolerant , easy - upkeep choice to a box — albeit one with silvery gray leaves — is the Australian Grey Box ™ nanus coast rosemary ( Westringia fruticosa‘WES04 ’ , Zones 9–11 ) . With almost succulentlike foliage and a naturally compact , rounded shape , this tough little evergreen grows 2 feet tall and wide and fit dead as a low - growing hedgerow or as strategically placed to bring textural interest to your sunny tilt garden or repeated boundary line . Grey Box ™ is munificently sprinkled with snowy white bloom from late wintertime through summertime , take well to shearing if an even sizeable shape is desired , and works as well in the container as it does in the landscape . Hardy to Zones 9–11 , unfazed by crop deer , disease free , and tolerant of diverse grunge eccentric and ocean breezes , Grey Box ™ does best grow in full sun and has minimum water requirements once install .

‘Tequila Sunrise’ mirror plant

Hardy to zona 9–10 and tolerant of frigid clime if protect from frost , ‘ Tequila Sunrise ’ mirror plant ( Coprosma repens‘Tequila Sunrise ’ ) is an exceptionally beautiful , easy - care evergreen hybrid of a vigorous New Zealand aboriginal shrub . usually recognize as mirror flora , its startlingly bright folio are multicolored , with gemlike chromaticity of emerald , gold , burnt orange , red-faced , and burgundy all making an coming into court to variegate degrees throughout the yr . ‘ Tequila Sunrise ’ is sandbag plant en masse , makes a dramatic foundation planting , and mould attractively as an accent in the landscape or container . Reaching 3 to 5 invertebrate foot tall and 3 to 4 feet wide , and produce in a natural , pyramidlike Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe , ‘ Tequila Sunrise ’ execute best and displays its brightest colors if plant in full sun , with well - drained , productive land and regular to light watering during the summer months .

Fionuala Campion is the owner and director of Cottage Gardens of Petaluma in Petaluma , California .

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